For Foodie, the onset of autumn means the return of the hotpot craze. Here are four of our fave hotpot spots:
Megan’s Kitchen
Well known for their innovative soup bases made with fresh, top-notch ingredients, Megan’s Kitchen has been recommended by Michelin Guide for six consecutive years. In addition to the original menu, the recently refurbished restaurant now presents a new French-inspired menu for the season of harvest. Items include foie gras and duck dumplings, stuffed cuttlefish balls with escargot, stuffed pork balls with chestnut and double-boiled French spring chicken stuffed with porcini mushrooms and quinoa, which takes nine hours to prepare. For meat lovers who are looking for something different from the usual local beef slices for dipping, New Zealand venison shoulder and ostrich fillet and Australian grass-fed rib-eye are also available.
5/F, Lucky Centre, 165–171 Wanchai Road, Wanchai, 2866 8305
Market Hotpot
As suggested by its name, Market Hotpot is reminiscent of the wet markets of the 60s and 70s. Upon arrival, choose your favourite hotpot ingredients from the seafood, meat and veggie stalls, bring them back to your table and pig out. This hotpot hotspot offers 15 kinds of soup bases, with whole chicken and fish maw being the most popular choice. Creativity is showcased by an array of delicacies, including pork balls that ooze ginger paste and bits of preserved egg as you bite into them.
2/F, Dundas Square, 43H Dundas Street, Mongkok, 2782 2003
Photo credit: kunkid (OpenRice)
The Drunken Pot
Situated in TST and Causeway Bay, The Drunken Pot is one of the most accessible go-to joints for friend or family gatherings, perfect for those on the lookout for a hip dining experience balanced with traditional flavours. The modern Guangdong-style hotpot eatery’s menu excites our palates, particularly the highly recommended “four-country” soup base with four regional flavours (Malaysian bak kut teh, Sichuan spice, Singaporean laksa and Hainan coconut chicken) and the Japanese sake bomb for an extra flavour explosion.
Causeway Bay: 27/F, V Point, 18 Tang Lung Street, 2323 7098
TST: 2/F, 8 Observatory Road, 2321 9038
Photo credit: strawberrykgrams (OpenRice)
8 Pots
Bubble tea and one-person hotpot? Hit us up! This branch originating from Taiwan imports most of its ingredients from Formosa. It boasts nine soup bases including the experimental cheese milk soup and the signature “smelly pot” with stinky tofu. Differing from other hotpot restaurants, you get a personal big pot with your chosen delicacies boiling in the soup. And since a restaurant can’t claim to be Taiwanese without bubble tea, 8 Pots doesn’t disappoint, showcasing a list of special Taiwanese drinks.
77 Kimberley Road, Jordan, 2885 7867
Photo credit: au9 (OpenRice)